Missouri National Guard rescues man, son and their goat from flooded home

WAKENDA, Missouri - When a breach in the Root Levee occurred in Carroll County early Monday morning, it didn’t take long for Ben Gibson’s home to see the results.

By about 3 a.m., 15 inches of water had gathered in the basement of his house near Wakenda and he decided it was time for him to get his son and his goat and head for higher ground.

But when he tried to move his truck and trailer, they were stuck in the mud caused by the rising water.

Gibson called Carroll County Sheriff Troy Hofstetter, who contacted the Missouri Army National Guard.

As two sergeants with the Guard drove to Gibson’s home in a humvee, they realized the water was too high on County Road 315, so they had to turn back and get a bigger vehicle.

“I was anxious because I did not think we could get through,” said Sgt. 1st Class Kennett Zeller, Company B, 311th Brigade Support Battalion.

So Zeller and Sgt. 1st Class Robert Haaf, 548th Transportation Company, brought in a modified cargo truck known as the load handling system vehicle to navigate the high waters.

“Once we got the right vehicle we were able to rescue the family,” Zeller said.

Zeller and Haaf gathered Gibson, his son Thomas and their pet goat Cygoat and took them to a safer place.

“No one else could get there and the National Guard came and rescued us,” Gibson said.